El Aliso, the Ancient Sycamore of Yaanga

The giant sycamore stood at the center of one of the largest Tongva villages, Yaanga adjacent to where the El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles de Porciúncula—’The Town of Our Lady the Queen of Angels of Porziuncola’ was founded, and which would become the city of Los Angeles.

El Aliso is visible in the distance in this 1857 photo of the Los Angeles Plaza.
Courtesy of the Photo Collection, Los Angeles Public Library.

Visualization of former location of El Aliso with the Wisdom Tree transplanted from Cahuenga Peak, John Craig Freeman, February 3, 2015.